Base-fuse for explosive projectiles.



R. P. STOUT & W. Li LUKENS.

BASE FUSE FOR EXPLOSIVE PROJECTILES. APPLICATION FILED ocr. 3,1944.

1 ,1 83,503. Patented Ma 16, 1916.

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Z8 a Z1 14-- on the line WED STATLF @EEFTQE ROBERT PAUL STOUT AND WILLIAM L. LUKENS, 0F BETHLEHEM, FEN'NSY'LVANIA,

ASSIGNORS TO BETHLEHEM STEEL COMPANY, OF SlOUTH BETHLEHIEM, PENNSYL- VANIA, A. CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

BASE-FUSE FOB EXLOSIVE PROJECTILES.

Application filed October 3, 1914. Serial No. 864,934.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT PAUL S'rour and WILLIAM LESLIE LUKENS, citizens of the United States of America, and residents, respectively, of Bethlehem, Northampton county, and Bethlehem, Lehigh county, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and us ful Trnprovements in Base- Fuses for Exp sive Projectiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fuses for projectiles and has for its object the provision of a fuse which is simple in construction, reliable in operation and which may be handled with perfect safety.

The novel features of the invention will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a fuse embodying our invention and illustrating the parts in their normal arrangement; Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1 and showing the parts in the position in which they are arranged during the flight of the projectile and prior to impact; Fig. 8 is an end View of the fuse; and Fig. 4: is a section 4-4 of Fig. 1..

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates a body member or a shell of tubular construction and provided with the chambers 11 and 12 which are separated by the partition 13. The body member 10 has secured at one end thereof, preferably by screw threads, a magazine 14 which contains the charge 15 for firing the explosive charge of the projectile. The magazine 14: carries the housing 16 for the percussion primer 17 which fires the charge 15. The body mem ber 10 is preferably provided with external threads 18 by means of which it may be secured in the projectile.

Slidably arranged in the chamber 11 1s a plunger housing 19 to which is secured an extension 20 having a head or pressure plate 21, which is arranged in the'chamber 1-2. The extension .20 projects through'an opening in the partition 13 and is surrounded by a suitable packing orobturator Specification of Letters Patent.

22 for a purpose to be described hereinafter. The housing19 has secured therein an annular end piece or plug 23.

Arranged within the housing 19 is a plunger or firing pin 24 having a point 25 which is adapted to strike the primer 1'? for the purpose of exploding the latter. The plunger 2" has a shoulder 26 which, when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. l, is adapted to engage the plug 23 and prevent the point 25 from striking the primer 1. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, thereis a pin 27 which extends through the body/member 10, the plunger housing 19, and the plunger 2% (see Fig. 4). As will be readily understood, this pin normally holds the plunger in fixed relation to the body-member. The head or pressure plate 21 is provided/with a flange 28 which is arranged betweena shoulder 29 on the body member and a plug 30 screwed into the body member for the purpose of holding the pressure plate and the housing 19, in the position shown in Fig. 1', -independently of the pin 27. The plug 303s provided with-openings 3-1 which ierin t the gases in the gun to act on the pr sure plate :21 when the gun is fired.

The operation of the fuse is' as follows: When the gun is fired, the pressure of the gases in the gun, acting upon the pressure plate 21, moves the pressure plate and the 7 housing 19.to the position shown in Fig. 2. The pressure of the gases in thegun is so high that this movement is effected practically instantaneously and, in moving, the housing 19 shears the pin 27 between the housing and the body member, and also between the housing and the plunger, the inertia of the'plunger cooperating to effect the shearing of the pin. 'The-fiangeQS is also sheared from the pressure plate 21 when the latter is moved. Thipacking 2% prevvents the gases from leaking along the extension 20 into the chamber 11, and thus prevents the gases from getting to the primer 17. The shearing of the pin 27 oc curs at the beginning of the acceleration of the projectile, and, during the flight of the projectile the parts remain in the position shown in Fig. 2. "A spring 32 co-acts with the plug 23 a d the plunger 2i to hold the plunger at the'.end of the housing 19 remote from the primer 1?, the spring thus preventing the plunger from creeping to the primer end of the housing during the flight of the projectile. lVhen the projectile strikes an object, the inertia of the plunger 2i carries the plunger forward and the point 25 strikes the primer 17 and explodes the latter. he explosion of the primer sets off the charge 15, and the latter fires the maincharge of the projectile.

From Fig. 1, it will be evident thateven with the pin 27 omitted, the fuse is in a perfectly safe condition to handle and could not be exploded by being dropped because the plug will prevent the point of the plunger 24 from striking .the primer. The plunger housing will be held in the position shown in Fig. l by the flange 28 and in order to permit the point of the plunger to strike the primer, it is necessary to shear off the flange 28 and move the plunger housing 19 toward the primer a sufiicient distance to permit the point 25 to strike the primer.

The shearing of the flange 28 cannot be effected by dropping the fuse. The pin 27 serves to hold the plunger in a definite relation to the plunger housing and the inertia of the plunger prevents it from being thrown forward with the plunger housing.

From the foregoing it will be evident that we have provided a fuse which is perfectly safe to handle and which under normal conditions cannot be permanently exploded.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and ,desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a fuse for projectiles, the combination of a body member, a percussion primer carried by said body member, a plunger arranged within said body member, a plunger housing slidable within said body member and normally arranged to prevent the plunger from striking said primer, a pin connecting said plunger and body member, and means whereby said plunger housing is subjected to the pressure of the gases in the gun and moved thereby to shear said pin.

:2. In a fuse for projectlles, the combination of a body member, a percussion primer carried by said body member, a plunger arranged within said body member, a plunger housing provided with means whereby it is normally secured rigidly to said body member .andadapted to normally prevent said plunger from striking said primer, and

means whereby said plunger housing is subjected to the pressure-of the gases in the gun and moved thereby to release said securing means and permit the plunger to strike said primer.

3. In a fuse for projectiles, the combination of a body member, a percussion primer carried by said body member, a plunger arranged within said body member, a plunger housing inclosing said plunger and slidable' within said body member and normally po- S1l11OI16Cl to prevent the plunger from striklng said primer, a spring co-acting with sald plunger and housing to hold the plunger at the end of the housing remote from sald prlmer, and means whereby said housmg is moved by the pressure of the gases in the gun to a position permitting said plunger to strike said primer.

4. In a fuse for projectiles, the combina: tion of a body member, a percussion primer carried by said body member, a plunger arranged within the body member, a plunger housing surrounding said plunger and slidable within said body member, a pin normally connecting said plunger and body member and holding said parts in fixed relation, and means whereby said housing is moved by the pressure of the gases in the gun to shear said pin and permit said plunger to move relatively to the housing and body member.

5. In a fuse for projectiles, the combinationof a body member, a percussion primer carried by said body member, a plunger housing slidable within said member and having an extension adapted to be subjected to the pressure of the gases in the gun, a plunger within said housing and normally prevented by the housing from striking said primer, and means surrounding said extension and adapted to prevent the gases from reaching said housing and primer.

6. In a fuse for projectiles, the combination of a body member, a magazine having screw-threaded connection with said body member, a percussion primer having screwthreaded connection with said magazine, aplunger housing slidable within said body member, a plunger slidable 'within said housing, and an extension secured to said housing and adapted to be subjected to the pressure of the gases in the gun.

7. In a fuse for projectiles, the combination of a tubular body member, a percussion primer carried by said member, a plunger housing slidable within said member, a plunger arranged in said housing-and slidable relatively thereto, and a pressure plate secured to said housing and provided with a flange adapted to be rigidly connected with said body member, said parts being so constructed and arranged that said pressure plate is adapted to be subjected to the pressure of the gases in the gun and said flange sheared from the pressure plate thereby.

8. In afuse for projectiles, the combination of a body member, a percussion primer said, pin and permit said plunger to move no carried by said body member, a plunger arrelatively to the housing and body member. ranged within the body member, a plunger In testimony whereof We aflix our signahousing surrounding said plunger and slidtures in presence of two Witnesses.

' able Within said body member, a pin nor- ROBERT PAUL STOUT. mally connecting said plunger and housing WILLIAM L. LUKENS. and holding said parts in fixed relation, and Witnesses: means whereby said housing is moved by JAMES P. MADDEN,

the pressure of the gases in the gun to shear EDWIN A. MILLER. 

